Author: Racquet Network

Racquet Network staff are certified experts. Many are also certified coaches. Racquet Network Experts undergo extensive training and product knowledge testing in order to ensure that we have the most knowledgeable staff in the racquet sports industry.
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Covid 19 Information

We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

We understand that these inconveniences can be frustrating. They are frustrating for us, too.

Nevertheless, we are doing our part to ensure that Calgary’s economy can remain open during this crisis by …

  1. Requiring masks indoors
  2. Limiting the number of people inside the store
  3. Reducing the handling of merchandise
  4. Referring browsers to our website
  5. Spacing out customer appointments
  6. Replacing face-to-face communications with email
  7. Encouraging online ordering
  8. Offering curbside pickups
  9. Maintaining contact tracing lists
  10. Doing a ridiculous amount of cleaning.

Thank you for doing your part by respecting these policies.

Doing what must be done to keep our economy open during these difficult times will be inconvenient, but ignoring what must be done just to avoid inconvenience could be devastating to our customers, our staff and their families.

Phase 2 Rules and Policies

Our business includes immuno-compromised staff, family members and customers. We are fully committed to making our store as low risk as possible.

Rule 1 – Masks are required to enter the store. No exceptions.

Since most people are already in the habit of carrying a mask with them wherever they go, this is neither and inconvenience nor a surprise.

Rule 2 – One person is permitted in the store at a time.

Limiting the number of people in the store at one time reduces the chances of infection and makes contact tracing easier should the unthinkable happen.

We do make some exceptions for children who need shoe fittings, customers who need interpreters, and other unusual situations. But in general, only one person is allowed in the store at a time.

Walk-ins & Appointments

Walk-ins are welcome, but we strongly recommend making an appointment.

Customers with appointments are guaranteed entry at the scheduled time.

Walk-in customers may have to wait in line outside for service.

There are two ways to make an appointment.

Option 1 – Request an appointment online.
Option 2 – Request an appointment by email (orders@racquetnetwork.com).

We do not take appointment requests by phone.

Appointment Tips

Tip 1 – Make appointments two or more days ahead of time. Last minute appointments are unlikely.

Tip 2 – In order to minimize face-to-face interaction, talk to an expert by email prior to your visit. We may be able to help you make a purchase prior to coming into the store — which is safest for everybody involved.

Tip 3 – Do not call to make an appointment. Appointments are set up by email so that dates and times are in writing. We do not accept appointments by telephone.

Browsing

We are currently re-configuring our store to permanently end the practice of browsing. We are moving to a service counter arrangement. Under this new configuration, customers who enter the store will be greeted by a service counter. An expert will serve them at the counter. If necessary — shoe fitting are one example — customers will be invited behind the counter for service. Otherwise, all transactions will occur at the customer service counter.

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Try Before You Buy | Tecnifibre Squash Racquets

Altra Running Shoe Demos

Racquet Network customers test drive more than 1000 badminton, tennis, squash and pickleball racquets every year.

Tecnifibre ™ squash racquets are amongst our most popular for in-store customers who want to try before they buy. As a result, we offer more Tecnifibre racquets demos than anybody else. We even have doubles of the most popular Tecnifibre racquets.

Our Try Before You Buy program allows customers to spend up to month test driving a variety of racquets.

For more information, please come into the store and talk to an expert at 310 2525 Woodview Dr SW. We are open 7 days a week.

Tecnifibre Squash Racquets

Many — but not all — of the Tecnifibre racquets that we sell are included in our Try Before You Buy program. Please visit us in-store for details.

Racquet Selector For a full list of racquets in this category, please check out our ONLINE RACQUET SELECTOR. You can sort by sport, gender, brand, size, weight, balance and more.
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Racquet Recycling in Calgary

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So you just cleaned your garage out and found some old tennis, squash, badminton or racquetball racquets. They seem like they are still in good shape — in fact, they are practically new.

So what to do with them?

You could give them away … if you knew somebody who wanted them.

You could sell them … but that’s a lot of work for the $5.00 price you might get on Kijiji.

Or you could recycle them … or can you?

Can old racquets even be recycled?

If you read the City of Calgary’s website regarding advice for recycling used sporting goods, you will note that they advise putting these things in your black bin.

In other words, they tell you put them in the garbage. This is because, Calgary’s recycling system cannot recycle things like tennis, squash or badminton racquets.

The only way to recycle them is to sell them or give them away so that they can be used again. In doing so, at least you might prevent somebody down the road from buying something new which will also end up in the garbage.

If you are faced with this problem, Racquet Network can help you. We recycle some old tennis, squash, badminton and or racquetball racquets by refurbishing them and selling them to families and recreational players who prefer not to buy something new.

We don’t pay for the old racquets people bring in to be recycled, but neither do we charge people for them. All we do is recover the cost of refurbishment. So if we take an old racquet and refurbish the grips and strings, we sell it for the cost of the grips and the strings. We don’t charge for the racquet itself because we didn’t pay for it.

Now … there are some limits to this program.

First, we don’t refurbish old wooden racquets unless they are in pristine condition and could be used for decorations or props. But if you bring them in, we will look at them and determine what if anything might be done with them.

Second, we don’t repair broken racquets. If the frame is broken, the racquet cannot be recycled. So please put it in your black bin.

Finally, we will not offer you so much as a penny for your old frame. So please do not imagine you are going to come in and haggle with us, because that’s not going to happen.

If, however, you have an old racquet and you want us to help you get it into the hands of somebody who will use it, bring it into the store and leave it with us. If it can be salvaged, we will salvage it. If not, we will dispose of it for you. Either way, your conscience is clear.

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What are Yonex Pre-strung Badminton Racquets Pre-Strung with?

Product Knock Out

Contrary to popular belief, Yonex pre-strung badminton racquets are NOT pre-strung with Yonex BG65.

Virtually all of Yonex’ pre-strung badminton racquets are pre-strung with something called Yonex Demo Gut — a low-cost, extruded nylon monofilament that is nothing at all like Yonex BG65 multifilament.

Yonex Demo Gut is not intended for long-term adult use. It is a temporary string put in racquets to help them keep their shape and to help large sporting good stores sell racquets.

Yonex Demo Gut is not intended to function as badminton string in any serious way.

You will not find serious players at the professional or recreational level stringing their racquets with Yonex Demo Gut.

In fact, Yonex does not even sell Yonex Demo Gut.

The name tells you all you need to know. Demo Gut was created as a demo string. Essentially, it is a prop. It is a substitute for the real thing.

So when you buy a pre-strung Yonex racquet, you should plan to replace the strings in very short order.

What you replace it with is up to you. It will depend on the racquet you are stringing, the shuttles you are using, and what you need the string to do.

Yonex has an large selection of excellent badminton strings to choose from. Regardless of who you are or how you play, we will be able to help you choose a suitable replacement when you are ready.

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Laser Engrave Your Shoes

Product Detail

Laser engraving your court shoes is one way to protect your property.

If you’ve ever had a racquet bag stolen from your car, you know how frustrating it is.

If you’re a parent, you know how frustrating it can be when somebody steals your kid’s brand new shoes.

In both of these instances, laser engraving can lead to a happy ending.

Laser engraving marks your property in a very inconspicuous way. In most cases, the thieves don’t even notice that it is marked.

But you know. So you can easily identify what is yours. which means that you have an opportunity to recover your property.

Racquet Network offers free laser engraving on many premium products including shoes and racquets.

Shoes are engraved on a back outer face so that the engraving can be seen from behind.

So if a player from your school or club swipes your shoes, they are easy to spot, identify, and recover.

Racquets, meanwhile, are engraved on their shafts making identification simple for players and racquet stringers.

By laser engraving racquets, shoes, bags and other items, we make it easy for police monitoring Kijiji and crooked pawn shops to tie car prowlers to specific crimes and lay charges.

We also make it possible to return property to its owners once it’s recovered.

All you have to do is file a police report telling police how your property is marked.